Love
Her signature tip has reportedly led to at least 2,500 engagements.
In early December, I was sipping prosecco at a busy pub in New York Citys Financial District.
She urged us to line up for a free portrait session with a photographer.
it’s possible for you to use these on yourdating app profiles!she said.
That was Maria Avgitidis, 39, or Matchmaker Maria as shes famously known online.
In an age when anybody can spout dating tips online, Avgitidis stands out.
And its helped her develop an unusually passionate community.
The distinction is that I was in the dating industry before social media became a thing, she says.
When youre making content, youre going to say the most ludicrous sh*t to get engagement.
For many singles, Avgitidis advice is a bright light in the confusing darkness.
Avgitidis grew up in suburban New Jersey.
Both her maternal grandmother and great-grandmother were matchmakers.
In kindergarten, she went back and forth between two classmates, asking, Do you like her?
She likes you, do you like him?
before declaring them boyfriend and girlfriend.
I havent changed, she tells me two days after the party.
She speaks firmly with the confidence of a natural leader.
She has excellent posture and eye contact.
Her cat-eye liner is drawn with precision.
(Shes a part-time caretaker for her mother.)
She didnt set out to become a matchmaker, she tells me.
The events typically attracted singles.
After a pair who met there gotmarried,others turned to Avgitidis for help.
She charged her first three clients $500 each, then emailed everyone she knew.
Im like, Hey, if you know anyone, Im setting up these guys.
Let me meet your friends.
When she was laid off in 2009, she solicited more clients.
Her email had a fortuitous typo, advertising her work for $5,000 instead of $500.
Three people signed up that day, she says with a laugh.
Thats when I learned about value proposition.
And so her companyAgape Matchwas born.
The first two years were a financial stretch.
I was scrapping it.
When they would run my card, I just prayed it wouldn’t go in the red.
So, she hustled.
(The venue pitched her, not the other way around.)
During these years, she was meeting men for herself, too.
I was always dating.
I never got exhausted of it, she says.
She met her future husband, scientist George Pyrgiotakis, through mutual friends in 2012.
Four years later, they had what she calls ourBig Fat Greek Wedding in Athens.
Theres enough demand that Agape Match has grown to a team of six.
Some required their matches to sign NDAs before the first date.
And then you have even more famous people who are like, I dont give a f*ck.
Just tell them who I am, she says.
Her rates range from $18,000 to $100,000 for six months.
Services include add-ons such as dating app ghostwriting, photo shoots, and wardrobe reviews.
It just kind of depends on how difficult theyre going to be, she says of her fee.
They want someone who can pop into a jet at any point.
And I know some women think, Oh, I would do that.
And Im like, No, you wouldnt.
Joseph, 36, has been a client on and off since 2018.
He was sick of unsuccessful setups from family and friends and uninterested in dating apps.
Several of his co-workers and friends found love through Agape Match, so he decided to try it out.
Marias reputation is second to none.
Theres a skill and expertise that goes into her approach.
Its methodical, not a guessing game.
You feel like she’s very constructive in it, but it’s crucial that you hear it.
(After my interview with Joseph, Avgitidis followed up to ask what I thought of him.
He was perfectly pleasant but I declined the setup.)
Its a common sentiment.
Agape Match rarely takes on female matchmaking clients.
Avgitidis says that women tend to have more preferences, which makes the search more time-consuming.
On Wednesdays, for example, she hosts Ask a Matchmaker Q&A sessions on her Instagram stories.
That kind of dedication is part of her appeal, as is her tough love.
You werent compatible from the jump, and you decided to ignore that because he was 64, right?
Her success online is largely due to how passionately her followers have embraced and evangelized her advice.
(The actual number of dates varies; one six-hour date counts as two outings.)
This past winter, she droppedmerch T-shirts, tote bags, and mugs that say 12 Date Bride.
She waited 16 dates with her husband.
Dont mistake that rule for prudishness.
The logic: Male fans are secure enough in their masculinity to care about a womans pleasure.
On dating apps, guys in the know will sometimes drop references to the actor.
(Due to the pandemic, the first trip took place in 2022.)
At the holiday party, a 30-something woman told me about her experience traveling with Avgitidis.
The itinerary wasnt the only draw.
Girls were fawning when they met her, the vacationer said.
Avgitidis is still wrapping her head around her growing reputation.
She gets recognized in public daily.
Shes surprised that fans have taken an interest in her personal life, too.
Two thousand people have liked that I won my church council elections.
Thats so weird to me, she says.
Interacting with a community of that size can be draining.
If its really long, my eyes will glaze over.
Im just like, break up, she says.
As for the future, her sights are set beyond social media.
In 2020, she launched a weekly podcast.
Oh, and one other small goal?
I want to fix dating.
Im like, wow, these words are resonating.
I didnt know I had that power.
I had no idea.
